There are some moments in Hollywood industry news that feel so out of left field, but brilliant, that they shake up the status quo and knock you back with excitement. Heath Ledger being cast as the Joker comes to mind. It’s choices like that that inspire you and make you think that Hollywood isn’t completely out of ideas yet.
The idea of Tim Burton creating and directing a live-action Addams Family series is not one of those times when you feel inspired and awed. In fact, Burton taking on the Addams feels so safe and so predictable and so right up his alley that it could be a joke.
But, nope, not a joke. Apparently Burton really is developing a modern day Addams Family show that will revolve around the Addams daughter, Wednesday. Burton is in talks to direct the entire series, which is already garnering a lot of interest from various parties, with Netflix at the top of the list as a potential home for the show.
I don’t have to tell you what a Burton-directed Addams Family would look and feel like, you already know. Much of Burton’s movies have been heavily influenced by the Addams. His style is remarkably in line with the Addams aesthetic. That’s all well and good but do we really need him to officially take on the mysterious, spooky and altogether kooky family? That just feels like such an easy, boring, on-the-nose choice…which is probably why he signed on to do it. The guy hasn’t seem very inspired in the last, oh, two decades?
If Burton’s Addams Family does get off the ground (which is most definitely will) you can expect that it’ll be a pretty big hit. While Burton’s popularity has waned recently as his creativity has, the combination of him and the Addams Family will surely draw in a lot of people. And maybe it will be something special, maybe Tim Burton taking on The Addams Family will be the sort of career move that’ll revitalize him and send him in a new direction. But, honestly, I think the only place it’ll send him is the bank.